Slidable shelf with combined guiding and stop means



G, c.y HARBlsoN SLIDABLE SHELF WITH COMBINED GUIDING AND STOP MEANS Filed Dec. 13, 1944 Patented Sept. 30, 1947 SLIDABLE SHELF WITH COMBINED GUID- ING AND STOP MEANS George C. Harbson, Erie, Pa., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application December 13, 1944, Serial No. 567,946

(Cl. S12-188) 7 Claims. 1

My invention relates to cabinets such as those employed for domestic refrigerators and more particularly to sliding shelves for such cabinets.

It is an object of my invention to provide a sliding shelf for a cabinet including an improved arfngement for supporting' and guiding the s e It is another object of my invention to provide a slidingvshelf for cabinets having an improved arrangement for locking the shelf on its guides.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation view of a refrigerator cabinet provided with a sliding shelf embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a corner of the shelf in position to be inserted in the cabinet; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the shelf moved toward the rear wall of the cabinet; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 3 showing the shelf in its rearmost position in the cabinet; and Fig, 6 is an enlarged perspective View of the locking and guiding mechanism on the shelf shown in the other figures.

Briefly, the sliding shelf illustrated in the drawings comprises a frame of channel-shaped cross section having the usual gQll constituting the body portion of the shelf. The shelf is supported on pairs of ball bearing rollers located on the side walls of the cabinet near the door at the front,land two pivotally mounted arms are provided at the rear of the shelf so arranged that they constitute stops which may be latched in position for preventing the removal of the shelf and guides for facilitating the smooth sliding movement of the shelf. The arms may be pivoted away from the rear of the shelf so that the shelf may be removed from the cabinet. When the shelf is replaced and pushed toward the rear, the arms strike the rear wall and are pressed into their normal positions in which they are latched by a suitable spring biased catch.

Referring now to the drawing, the refrigerator shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a cabinet I having a door 2 (not shown in Fig. 2). The cabinet comprises an outer metal shell 3 and an inner metal liner 4 secured together about the door opening by suitable breaker strips 5 of insulating material, the space between the shell 3 and liner 4 being filled with thermal insulation 6. The inner liner 4 may be provided with a coating of baked enamel to provide a readily cleaned surface which is substantially permanent. The inner liner provides a food compartment I within the cabinet which is cooled in a, manner well known in the art by a suitable evaporator or cooling unit 8 located in the upper portion of the compartment. Food or other articles to be stored in the refrigerator may be placed on shelves 9 two of which are shown in Fig. 1. Each of the shelves comprises a U-shaped frame III of channel-shaped cross section, the ends of the U being connected in front by a cross piece I I and a plurality of rods or wires I2 being secured :between the front and rear edges of the frame to provide a grill affording ready passage of air through the shelf and around articles placed thereon. The shelves are supported in the cabinet on rollers I3 mounted on the interior side walls near the front edges thereof adjacent; the door opening. The rollers are arranged in pairs so that the shelves may be supported from their front portions in the manner of a cantilever beam, the pairs of rollers being suiiiciently rugged to support the shelves and any articles placed thereon without the assistance of additional supporting members a`t the rear ends of the shelves. The diameters of the rollers are substantially the Width of the channels, only sufficient clearance being necessary to allow each roller to contact one side of the channel and be free from the other side. The limit of movement of the shelves toward the rear is determined by stops I4 of rubber or other suitable resilient material secured to the rear edge of the shelves in a manner to be described. Smooth sliding movement of each shelf is facilitated by providing small lugs or guide members I5 one on either end of the shelf at the rear thereof and arranged to engage the side walls of the liner 4. The elements I5 are preferably constructed of nonmetallic material such as hard rubber or a suitable plastic. Similar nonmetallic guide elements I6 are provided on the side walls adjacent the rollers I3 and preferably at the ends of the stationary shafts of the rollers as shown. The elements I5 and I6 cooperate to make the shelf move in and out in straight lines without jamming, the elements I6 frictionally engaging the sides of the shelf and the elements I5 the sides of the inner liner 4, suiicient clearance being permitted so that there is no Jamming.

The bumpers I4 and the guide elements I5 are secured on arms I1 pivotally mounted on the rear of the shelf, one of which is shown in Fig. 3. The arms I1 may .be pivoted away from the shelf as shown in Fig. 3 so that the outer ends indicated at I8 clear the rollers I3 and allow theshelf to be moved past the rollers for insertion in the cabinet or removal therefrom. The arm I1 is plvoted on the rear edge of the shelf at I9, and a tip of the arm indicated at 20 engages the inner side of the channel and determines the limit of pivotal movement of the arm such that it cannot bei rotated away from the edge of the shelf by more than a predetermined acute angle. When the shelf is pushed from the position of Fig. 3 toward the rear of the cabinet, the guide member I finally engages the rear wall of the liner 4 as shown in Fig. 4, and further movement of the shelf rotates the arm until it reaches its position as shown in Fig. 5 whereupon it is latched to hold the elements I5 in position for guiding the sliding movement of the shelf.

The details of construction of the arms I1 are more clearly shown in Fig. 6, which represents the corner of the shelf after the arm has been latched in position and with the shelf drawn to its outermost position such that the upper end I8 of the arm engages the rear roller I3 and prevents further outward movement of the shelf. The end I8 is shaped so that any attempt to force the shelf farther out will wedge the end between the roller and the top side of the channel track in which the roller operates. As shown in Fig. 6. the arm I1 is forked at its end, both the upper and lower portions respectively being rotatable on the pivot I9. The upper side of the arm is arranged to lie closely adjacent the upper edge of the channel frame I0. However, the arm may be moved downwardly, a slot 23 being provided in the lower portion 22 about the pivot I9 to permit the downward movement. A compression spring 24 is arranged between a, support 25 on the pivot I9 and a similar support 26 on the arm, and this spring urges the arm into its upper position adjacent the top edge of the shelf frame as shown in Fig. 6. In this position the end I8 is locked against a stop 21 secured to the top of the frame so that on striking the roller I3 rotation of the arm about the pivot I9 is prevented; the spring and parts IB and 21 thus provide a resiliently biased latch. When it is desired to release the latch. a. lug 28 on the arm I1 and extending above the rear edge of the shelf is pressed downwardly and the arm is simultaneously pressed toward the rear so that the shelf may be removed. -When the shelf is replaced and is pushed from the position of Fig. 4 into the position of Fig. 5, the end I8 rides downwardly over a camming surface 29 on the stop 21 and is latched in position as soon as the end I8 passes the stop.

A shelf construction as shown in the drawing may be made to move very easily and smoothly, and the rollers I3 are preferably provided with ball bearings as indicated at 30 in Fig. 6. The shelf may be started from rest without danger of jamming so that there is no danger of spilling liquid from dishes on the shelves by jerky movements of the shelf. The shelf may readily be removed by pressing the lugs 28, and the shelf may be replaced with minimum difiiculty merely by pressing it toward its rearmost position from its position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5. The easy movement of the shelf due to the action of the rollers I3 is further insured by the co- 4 operation between the nonmetallic guiding elements l5 and I6 which prevent misalignment of the shelf during movement in and out of the cabinet.

While I have disclosed a specific embodiment of my invention as applied to a household refrigerator, other applications will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art. I do not, therefore, desire .my invention to be limited to the particular construction illustrated and described, and I intend by the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, ls:

l. In a cabinet having interior rear and oppositely disposed side walls, a shelf, means comprising pairs of rollers mounted on said side walls near the front edges thereof for supporting said shelf for sliding movement toward and away from said rear wall, said means including tracks arranged along the sides of said shelf for engaging said rollers, said tracks including portions arranged above and below the rear roller of each of said pairs, and stop members pivotally mounted on said shelf near opposite sides thereof and swingable into a position to engage the rear roller of each of said pairs for limiting the outward movement of said shelf away from said rear wall, and` means including portions of said stop members arranged to be wedged between said tracks and said rear rollers for preventing pivotal movement of said stop members when said shelf is in its outermost position.

2. In a cabinet having interior rear and oppositely disposed side walls constructed of metal, a shelf, means arranged on said side walls near the front edges thereof for slidably supporting said shelf within said cabinet for movement toward and away from said rear wall, stop members pivotally mounted on said shelf hear opposite sides thereof and swlngable into position to engage said supporting means for limiting the outward sliding movement of said shelf, means for retaining said stop members in said position, and nonmetallic guide elements carried by said stop members for sliding engagement with said side walls to guide said shelf and facilitate its movement toward and away from said rear wall.

3. In a cabinet; having interior rear and oppositely disposed side walls, a shelf, means arranged on said side walls near the front edges thereof for slidably supporting said shelf within said cabinet, stop members pivotally mounted on said shelf near opposite sides thereof and swingable from a first position rearwardly of said shelf into a second position to engage said supporting means for limiting the outward sliding movement of said shelf, and automatic means for latching said members upon their movement into said second position, said latchng means being so constructed and arranged that said shelf may be removed from said cabinet when said members are wardlyof the rear edge of said shelf for affording.

removal of said shelf from said supporting means to a second position at the side of said shelf for engaging said supporting means to limit the outward sliding movement of said shelf, resilient elements on said stop members for limiting the rearward movement of said shelf, and nonmetallic guide elements carried by said stop members for sliding engagement with said side walls when said members are in said second position to guide said shelf and facilitate its movement toward and away from said rear wall.

5. In a cabinet having interior rear and oppositely disposed side walls constructed of metal, a shelf, means arranged on said side walls near the front edges thereof for slidably supporting said shelf within said cabinet, means including an arm pivotally mounted on said shelf near the rear edge thereof and swingable from a first position rearwardly of said shelf through an acute angle to a second position in substantial alignment with the rear edge of said shelf for facilitating the sliding movement of said shelf and for limiting the forward movement thereof, said arm having a portion thereof arranged to engage said supporting means to constitute a stop in said second position and said arm having a nonmetallic guide element thereon for sliding engagement with the adjacent side wall in said second position, and spring biased latching means for retaining said arm in said second position.

6. In a cabinet having interior rear and oppositely disposed side walls, a shelf having channel-shaped guide tracks along the sides thereof. means comprising a pair of rollers mounted on each of said side walls near the front edge thereof and having diameters of a size such that they ilt within and engage the side of said channels for supporting said shelf for sliding movement toward and away from said rear wall, a stop member pivotally mounted on said shelf near the rear edge thereof and swingable into a position adjacent one side of said shelf to engage the rear roller of the pair on said side for limiting the thereof for slidably supporting said shelf within said cabinet for movement toward and away from said rear wall, a stop member pivotally mounted on said shelf near the rear edge thereof, said stop member being swlngable to a first position rearwardly of the rear edge of said shelf for affording removal of said shelf from said supporting means and to a second position adjacent the rear edge of said shelf for engaging said supporting means to limit outward movement of said shelf, said stop member including means engaging said shelf to limit the swinging movement of said stop member rearwardly of said shelf, and means for retaining said stop member in said second position.

GEORGE C. HARBISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

